Yuletide Can Be a Nightmare for Those with Misophonia.
A 23-year-old is looking forward to spending time with her relatives during the festive period, but notes one of the only ways she'll endure is by relying on her earplugs - especially during the holiday meal.
For the 23-year-old, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging time as the noises of people eating, slurping and sniffling make her feel intense distress.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just freeze and it feels like I'm in danger, and I need to somehow control these triggers."
She has experienced misophonia from a young age and for her that renders the Christmas time "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to specific noises, notably sounds produced by those around you.
It is prevalent in the UK. Researchers found almost one in five people experience it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, including examples such as crunching, breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "You encounter so many different triggering sounds at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you fear it.
"My relatives are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to upset others. It's like a really big battle of enduring my distress to guarantee the event goes smoothly."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful period can rapidly become a source of agony for sufferers.
Sounds that may appear innocuous, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, opening presents, or eating the holiday meal can trigger a powerful reaction that can even cause them withdrawing from gatherings.
She, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains her strategy is to use headphones to manage the meal. Usually, she would frequently go in a different room to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her misophonia is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so Christmas is always "difficult".
"There's an expectation to socialize with family, and I wish to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"I feel as if this intense irritation washes over me, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and burst into tears and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's hard to explain unless you've experienced it."
A Few Techniques to Cope
If it's an issue then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to experts.
- Visualise an Alternative: Imagination is key. Attempt to link the specific noise bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to envision someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. This technique is to retrain your mind that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Have a bit of fun and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the person. As an example, if someone is crunching loudly attempt copying the noise. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the challenge should help shift your attention and make you slightly more tolerant.
- Create a Scenario: A further strategy is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is doing it. So if someone was making a nasal sound, perhaps they're not at their best or are troubled. By doing this is altering the perception of the sound. Although the noise stays the same, your understanding of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
